1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, a method of controlling the same, and a storage medium, and more particularly to an information processing apparatus equipped with a wireless communication function.
2. Description of the Related Art
As a type of information processing apparatus, there has been used an image forming apparatus, such as a copying machine, a printer, or a facsimile machine. Further, in recent years, there has been known an image forming apparatus which is equipped with a wireless communication function, such as a wireless LAN function. If a wireless LAN is used, wiring, such as cables, can be dispensed with, thereby making it possible to use the image forming apparatus e.g. from an external apparatus (PC, for example) which exists outside a building where the image forming apparatus is installed.
Since the use of the wireless LAN makes it possible to access the image forming apparatus from the external apparatus without wiring, it is possible for a user who is not desired by an administrator to access the image forming apparatus. To prevent such undesirable access, authentication using a WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) key is performed when the external apparatus connects to the image forming apparatus using the wireless LAN.
On the other hand, there is a wireless LAN connection that omits authentication (hereinafter referred to as the “authentication-free wireless connection”). If the authentication-free wireless connection is used, an unspecified number of external apparatuses (personal computers (PCs), for example) sometimes make unauthorized use of the image forming apparatus to perform print jobs and the like.
Particularly if a web browser function equipped in the external apparatuses is used, it is possible for a user not only to view but also to edit setting information and apparatus information of the image forming apparatus and an address book recorded in the image forming apparatus, even if the user is not at a place where the image forming apparatus is installed.
When the image forming apparatus is in a state of the authentication-free wireless connection, external apparatuses existing within a range where they can wirelessly connect to the image forming apparatus can access the image forming apparatus using the web browser function. As a result, there is a fear that private information, such as the address book, recorded in the image forming apparatus is stolen via one or some of the unspecified number of external apparatuses.
As a method of restricting remote access to an information processing apparatus, such as an image forming apparatus, there has been proposed one in which when an access request is sent from an external apparatus, the image forming apparatus extracts an IP address and an MAC address for identifying the external apparatus from the access request, and when the extracted IP address and MAC address match the IP address and MAC address registered in advance, the image forming apparatus permits the external apparatus to access the same (see e.g. Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2003-223307). The technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2003-223307 thus permits only an external apparatus which is approved in advance by the administrator of the image forming apparatus to access the image forming apparatus.
As described above, according to Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2003-223307, an external apparatus is permitted to access the image forming apparatus on condition that identification information on the external apparatus is registered in advance. To register the identification information in advance, the external apparatus is required to be approved in advance by the administrator of the image forming apparatus. Further, in order that the external apparatus is permitted to access the image forming apparatus, it is required to accurately register the identification information on the external apparatus in the image forming apparatus.
Under such circumstances, in a case where an external apparatus, such as a PC, is newly installed in a business or an office, or in a case where an external apparatus acquires an IP address different from an IP address (identification information) registered in a DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) server, it is required to send identification information on the external apparatus to the administrator of the image forming apparatus and request the administrator to register the identification information. This brings about the problem of lack of user-friendliness. In addition, when it is impossible to perform registration processing e.g. due to absence of the administrator, the external apparatus cannot access the image forming apparatus before the identification information is registered. This also brings about the problem of lack of user-friendliness.